Creativity and the arts

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Architecture Artists and art history Beauty and aesthetics Celebrations and festivals Creativity Dance Film Imagination Laughter and comedy Music Painting and sculpture Philosophy of art Photography Play Poetry Stories and literature The nature of reality Theatre and performance Traditional arts

LatestPopular

Photo of a woman in a colourful striped dress smiling as photographers take pictures at a crowded event.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Why do beautiful people also seem smart and likeable?

Psychologists have known about the ‘halo effect’ for ages. New research suggests the power of language can help explain it

by Chris F Westbury & Daniel King

Photo of a rural crossroads with a stop sign, traffic lights above, a utility pole and vast open fields under a blue sky.

Thinkers and theories

idea

To resist dogma and accept uncertainty, think like a pragmatist

Founded in 19th-century America, the philosophy of pragmatism promises imaginative ways of coping with our circumstances

by Michael Bacon

A rural road intersection with a stop sign, traffic light and highway signs under a blue sky with clouds.

Thinkers and theories

guide

To resist dogma and accept uncertainty, think like a pragmatist

Founded in 19th-century America, the philosophy of pragmatism promises imaginative ways of coping with our circumstances

by Michael Bacon

Photo of a person speaking into a microphone holding an electric string instrument with a choir in the background.

Theatre and performance

film

The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance

Video by All Arts

Photo of a calm lake at dusk with a hippo partially submerged, only its eyes and ears visible above the water’s surface.

Communication and language

idea

Metaphors open up our minds – but can also shut them down

The best analogies in poetry and science really crackle, but when do they expand our thinking and when do they constrain it?

by Claire O’Callaghan

Film

idea

Hollywood’s fixation on the wrong stories won’t help our world

Today’s global problems are caused by broken systems, but the studios still feed us a diet of movies focused on individuals

by Namir Khaliq

A waterfall under a stormy sky with mist and a building on the left cliff surrounded by trees in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

guide

How to think about the sublime

An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason

by Nicole A Hall

Shadow of a person on crumpled paper in dark setting photo.

Trauma and PTSD

film

Sent to boarding school, a boy conjures up a friend to soothe his distress

A film by Tony Gammidge

Painting of two weasels playing among trees in a vibrantly coloured landscape.

Communication and language

idea

For this unsung philosopher, metaphors make life an adventure

Susanne K Langer understood the indispensable power of metaphors, which allow us to say new things with old words

by Sue Curry Jansen & Jeff Pooley

Painting of an elderly couple in 16th century attire, man in fur-lined coat and woman in white headdress on green background.

Love

idea

There’s no good reason to love each other – and that’s a relief

Loving is an unreasonable decision (we are all extremely unpleasant little beasts) and that’s what allows it to survive

by John Kaag

Photo of an athlete in a white jacket with a gold medal, smiling with hands on face against an Olympic rings backdrop.

Goals and motivation

guide

Here’s how to use your imagination to prepare for any task

From sport to public speaking, the link between mental imagery and actual performance is undeniable – and you can harness it

by Jonathan Rhodes

Woman in a white dress standing in front of a geometric quilt in a garden setting with trees in the background.

Traditional arts

film

Beauty is woven into everyday life for the quilters of the American West

A film by Carly Jakins and Jared Jakins